Pyramus and Thisbe
by Let Me Level With You
Summary: When things between Scully and Mulder turn sour, Scully decides to take her own self journey into what would make her happiness existing again. Along the way she stumbles upon a man who might change just that, she ask herself what is broken should be fixed in the thick of her and her partner. Or if she should take this chance with a firm grip.
1. Bad Taste In The Mouth

Life. It's about trusting your own feelings, and taking chances no matter what the consequences be. Losing and finding that happiness, appreciating the memories that came along with finding that one special place which makes us feel safe, protected. Like nothing in this world could touch us, could take those feelings away. With all the sacrificing comes learning from the past and knowing people change. Even the ones that we were closest to, the ones that shaped us more then anyone else. Yet, finding someone who could possibly convey it. You finally realize it was in front of you this whole time. Could it ever be too late to change providence?

Scully is sitting at Mulders desk, staring at a case for what seemed to be like hours. She had gotten up extra early just to come to work when barely anyone was around. Mulder was still at home, asleep, dreaming his dreams. Lately the affiliation between them had gotten ailing. It was frustrating. The osculating seemed to be less volatile. Scully thought it was just those normal bumps in the roads in relationships. When things became less interesting. That's why couples take time off and go places. Like, Paris. Somewhere romantic. Tapping her pencil, she sighed and shut the cabinet door behind her. Stufff thing half open X File back into its alphabetical category. Remembering the argument they had last night, Scully just looked around the room. Like hoping to find something that would take the subject off her mind. She had mentioned taking a trip to Mulder last night at dinner. He only laughed then straightened his face.

"Your serious? A break from work? From the X Files?"

"What? Are the X Files more important?"

"Uh..no no. I mean, Scully, you know the X Files are my life. I just, I couldn't really see myself going off sojourning. Last time I did I kept calling you on that case, remember? I easily get bored when off the working topic." Mulder continued drinking his soda from the straw only to take a small puppy sized glimpse at Scully. Who at the moment was not amused.

"That's…that's your excuse? Or do you just not care?" She was fuming. Why was Mulder acting like this?

"No! Of course not."

Scully sat, messing with her fingers and staring endlessly at the floor beneath her feet.

"Look…I'm just not feeling up to it right now. Maybe, maybe some other time. I'm not in my complete mind set right now."

"Mulder, if there's anything going on right now you can always talk to me, you now that. Right?" They always told each other everything on their mind. After all they went through it came down to that deal. She wanted so badly to hold him a bit close. Maybe just touch his hand and rub her thumb over his rough skin. But she kept her distance on the couch. Only pillows separating them from one another.

"Nothing's going on with me. I'm fine. But, your concern is thoughtful. I think I'm going to stay at home today and read over this new case from Skinner. Uh, if that's alright with you."

Scully just took another deep breath and sat there for a minute. "Yeah..yeah of course." Getting up with a small slap to the legs, sarcastically but cautious that he didn't see through it. With small steps to the door she hoped to hear Mulder tell her to stop. But he didn't. He sat silent still, with his glasses dangling over stacks of files and endless pencil chewing. He was driving her over the edge. Supposedly she take this trip by herself and maybe then Mulder would come to his senses. On the downside, she'll just be touring the beautiful country sides of Paris all alone. Peaceful, and serine.

Scully couldn't help but cry a single tear, only to wipe it away quickly. She didn't want Mulder to see the weak side of her in this position. He had been so engrossed in his work lately that even eating wasn't an option. There was no use to try to get his nose out of the books now. It only seemed to back fire on her. Might as well leave the headache uncured. It had been only a few weeks since the subject of his sister had resurfaced from the locked cabinets labeled construed tucked deep away in the corners in the X File office. Secluded feelings from Scully were to tell Mulder to leave it be. They had tracked down Samantha for over 6 years at the Bureau. There had to have been some closure. Instead Mulder pursued further, hoping to find some now evidence on her. A flicker of neoteric aspiration. Scully knew this would destroy him. And as much as she cared so deeply for Mulder, she couldn't drag herself down in the mud with this ill-considered job. It would take a lot of strength and convincing herself not to do so. Scully mindlessly walked down the apartment hallway, making her way into the elevator only to gaze lifelessly at the doors. The walls were spinning in her head. All she could think about right now was going home, taking a bath and crying till her tear ducts could not shed another drop. She just wanted to sink into the earth and never be seen or heard from again. If only that were unquestionably indubitable. A man stepped into the elevator space with her. She steps back only to make room, soon realizing she had been so far off in her own conscious that she hadn't noticed she was at the office, making her way to grab her things and head home. As the doors opened on the next exist, Scully smiled past the stranger, only to have him stare past. Was she really that invisible to everyone around her? Had she really become so transparent to the human psyche that not even Mulder could pay one speck of attention to her? Sighs became her only choice of words since months before. Its not like anyone asked her what was wrong. So why even bother responding to conversations, or incidences like the elevator man. Why should she even care about the meaningless communication between her and that stranger? Pushing back a strand of hair Scully made a tiresome sound then made way back to the X File office.


	2. So We Meet

John Dogget was a simple guy. One that got up in the morning, ate his breakfast of simple oatmeal, dressed in his simple clothes, and drove in a simple car to a work were he did a simple job. To catch criminals in the act. To put away the sick bastards that was societies trash. His whole life spelled simple. Was the definition of simple. Which was every man's dream. So finding out about the reassignment into a new section of the Bureau was interesting at first. Until he found out he had been sectioned off into the X Files division. He knew about the notorious Fox 'Spooky' Mulder. The reason everyone called him Spooky. His unhealthy obsession with UFO's and government conspiracy. He wondered that week if he had said or done something to upset his assistant director. If he possibly failed his personal profession. John had been called in today to get a 'taste' of who and what he would be working with. Doggett expected to step into the office and have all this notions thrown at him about little green men with big eyes who abduct people from their beds, to be probed, never seen again. Instead when he made his way to the door he was greeted by a short, red head, who was currently shuffling through a bag, and not a happy kind of shuffling.

"Uh.." Doggett coughed, hoping to get her attention. But she didn't seem to notice. "Excuse me, Ms."

"Wha?" Scully stopped going through the brown duffle. A tall lengthy man was standing near the entry way. He had a military style hair cut with these deep piercing blue eyes. They didn't seem to give off a stiff kind of gaze. More of a soft, yet slightly stern ogling. "Can I help you?"

"Uh…yes," He gave a small cough again out of embarrassment. Afraid maybe he was in the wrong place. A lady like herself couldn't possibly be working with such a man like Fox Mulder, if he truly fits his rumorous description. "I'm looking for the X Files office. They didn't exactly tell me..where the office was so I'm kind of on a whim here."

Scully smiled, taking steps towards the mystery man with an out stretched hand. "Ah, yes, you must be Agent John Doggett. Your in the right place I assure you."

"Good, I didn't want to look like a fool on my first day on my new reassignment. I just didn't think a women like yourself would be working with a man like Fox Mulder. I mean, after the things I've heard upstairs in the Bureau room." He made a small laugh. Scully just raised an eyebrow with an insulted expression smeared across her face. Doggett noticed, only to try to correct himself awkwardly. "Not that Mulder sounds like a weird person. I mean…I'm...I'm sure he's a good guy. I just didn't think that..I mean. I…" He soundly like a broken record. So, Scully decided to stop it.

"It's fine. I know what you mean. I remember when I used to be in the field and heard multiple things about him. He was pretty scandalous with all his theories on the bizarre. Look, I know he sounds like a crazy guy who just spreads lies about aliens and what not…" She was cut off by Doggett who seemed worried just by her words.

"Wait. So your saying you believe all that yahoo? About the aliens and the UFO's?"

Scully didn't reply for a while. How would she explain all the things she had gone through to a man who was just as skeptical as she was? It takes one to know one she guessed. "Its hard to explain. I hope you'll soon come to understand like I have." She turned back to shuffling through the brown sack.

Doggett only felt puzzled. Was this women serious? Aliens being real? Government conspiracies? He felt even more unsure being assigned to the X Files then he did when he walked through that door. Then again being in the FBI you have to be prepared for anything thrown your way. First lesson he remembered learning on the job. "So, I never got to know your name."

Scully turned back up with a half crack smile. "Dana…Dana Scully."

'Dana.' He thought to himself. It was an enchanting name. "Okay. Nice to meet you Agent Scully. Is Agent Mulder going to be with us today?"

She stopped still. As if she had stepped on a land mine. But less wide eyed. The light seemed to have dimmed from her irises. "Uhm. He's. Busy."

"Is there a problem Agent Scully?" Her state the moment seemed a bit uneasy.

"Yeah. Of course. Everything is fine. He's just feeling not himself today."

"Would that be the same for you?"

"Excuse me?" She was a bit offended by this out of nowhere comment. He had only known her for a few minutes but was acting like he had known her all his life.

"I'm sorry. You just seemed upset. That was out of line. I apologize for that." Doggett looked a little away from her. To afraid to meet her cold womanly gaze.

"No I'm sorry. Your right. I'm not feeling myself today either. Maybe its this weather."

"Agent Scully, its 80 degrees out."

She laughed shallowly. "Well, like my dad always said. But may the sun and gentle weather, When you are both growne ripe together."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Scully just shrugged. "I'm not sure. I never have really. But I'm sure it means something close enough to what I've been feeling."

"Oh?" John smirked. "And what's that exactly?"

This guy was getting way up in her panty skirt right now. And she wasn't appreciating it one bit. He steps in first day on the job asking her too many questions. Some of them that she doesn't even have the strength to answer at the moment. "Hey buddy. I don't appreciate the poking and prodding."

"Oh, sure. Yeah. Course. I apologize once more."

Scully went about her business formally before. Then something hit her. This guy looked a bit familiar. "Wait a minute. Have I met you before?"

Doggett thought for a moment. Her red hair had been a bit familiar for him as well. Then he recalled the elevator ride this morning. She had been standing mindlessly in the corner. "Yeah. We met on the elevator sometime this evening. You seemed a little.."

"Out of it?"

"Yeah..if you don't mind me asking."

"It was nothing. I just didn't get my morning coffee."

"Boy. If that happens I hope you don't go drive in the mornings when your absent of your coffee." He chuckled, hoping she would as well. She only protruded a faint giggle from her lips.

This man was had quit the humorous charm. She was already growing to like this side of him. But she didn't appreciate the snoopiness aspect of his personality. "You know, since Mulder isn't here right now I could use some help alphabetizing these files."

"Sure thing." He walked over to the duffle bag and started to assist with the categorizing. A few times there hands touched just enough to send chills down each other's spines. It was strange. This, complete stranger making him feel, so, weird. He couldn't put his finger on it. He wanted to get to know her so much more. In time of course. They would spend the rest of today going over all the sheets of paper till Scully would sanction off to bed, leaving Doggett with the rest of the faculty.


	3. Coffee Breaks

Scully awoke to what seemed like the same day as the last. Mulder was tediously on calls with any contacts he could get his hands on. Phone numbers spread across his desk, a ring up in one hand, while a slip of paper was in the other. She sat eating her meal of a fresh salad alone on the opposite side of the room. All she had been doing since 6 this morning was help with communion info. Even though like she had told herself before she wouldn't get into these personal issues with Mulder. Just months before he had gotten in touch with someone who had acquainted him that they had seen his sister at a drive in dinner located in Maine. Scully had told him not to mess with it. That it was probably a mistake, a miss interrupted sighting. He refused to drop the topic, first explaining to her why had this specific stranger contact him about his sister of all people. But especially, who was this so called stranger. How did he even know Mulders email? He'd already gone to the Gun Men for assistance but it was a 'distinctively encrypted file' that couldn't be bypassed. Obsession had become more of a pliable term. Scully shook herself back to life and looked over to the cup of Joe she had placed for Mulder a few hours before. He didn't seem to have touched it so she got up to put it away.

"You didn't bother drinking your coffee, Mulder."

He only let out a grunt in response. Typical.

"I'll just go get you a fresh cup then." She knew she was talking to a brick wall so Scully made her way to the break room in silence.

John had token up residence in the workshop room next to her, being witness to this whole one to none conversation. Feeling the need to comfort an emotionally wounded Scully, he made a sprint out the X File office doors, and towards the elevator.

"Hey, Scully, wait up."

Scully turned around hoping to see Mulder coming after her but instead spot Doggett making a run for the closing elevator. Straining open the metal hatchway John stepped in, making a comfortable spot right beside her. However making sure to give her plenty amplitude.

"What do you want, Agent Doggett?"

"I saw you were going for coffee so I thought I might as well to." He made a childish smile, only to amuse her. Yet it couldn't fool a clever person such as herself.

"No really. Why are you following me?"

"I don't know. Just thought you needed a friend. Or a stranger to talk to perhaps. Whichever sounds more abating."

"You're a very persistent man you know that?" Scully gave a half crack smile in return, having him do the same.

"Well like my mother always told me. Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Scully said with a sarcastic mockingful tone.

"I don't know. You tell me."

As the elevator swung open, Scully made a path to the coffee machine, John making suit behind her.

"Is that coffee for you or 'Mr. Mute'?"

She found his use of nicknames comical. It was true. Mulder was being a Mr. Mute and as much as she condemned it, she could also do nothing for him. He wouldn't let her. She had never seen him so engulfed in casing this rumor about Samantha than any other times. And when Mulder did, he would at least give her in, and treat her like an existing human being. Things change she guessed. Sometimes not for the best. So, Scully let him sink deeper and deeper into his mind place.

"It's for Mulder. I already had some later at my apartment this morning."

"I saw he hadn't bothered touching it. So why are you getting another?"

"It's just…" Scully slipped the cup into the sink to clean. "A friendly thing to do I guess."

"I don't know why you care so much if this guy's gonna be a jerk to you."

Scully peered up, catching the warm ice blue eyes staring down at her with concern.

"Look, Agent Doggett...Mulders just…a tough space right now. And as a..'friend'..I'm giving him his distance. It's difficult because, I want to help him. Which in a small way I am. But I can't. It's something that even as a close person to him I can't even understand. It's his own journey that he must take on his own. And I take mine. In this case," She plopped the coffee mug down in the spout, turning the machine to life. "Getting him coffee."

Doggett stood, taking in the words carefully. "Okay. If that is really the locality then I'll leave it be."

Scully spoke with gratitude as she picked up the fully steaming cup. "Thank you." Then making small blows on the hot decoction, she stepped out into the hall way and started to sip it gently.

"I thought you said that was for him." He watched her pink lips drink up the 'specially made just for Mulder' coffee.

"Wouldn't hurt having just a little, would it?"

"Guess not." He leaned on the wall next to her, giving a seldom glims. "So tell me, Scully. Why did you decided to be a part of the X Files?"

"Well," She started to say with a lick to the lips. " I was assigned the X Files to aid my scientific expertise and perspective. I was, and still am, somewhat of a skeptic. I can't say I still am as skeptical as I used to be. Not after seeing the things I've seen." Scully then took a pause and thumbed the handle of Mulders mug. "The world, Agent Doggett, is filled with mysterious things. Miracles are seen every day. I decided that, I could continue helping these people who seem to be drawn in by the supernatural. I can't exactly describe it. My feeling is that scientific method has the power to account for and interlink all phenomena in the universe, including its origin, using the laws of nature. But that still leaves the laws unexplained."

"That's a pretty deep self-opinion, Agent Scully."

Scully twisted around so that she was face to face with John. "Are you a skeptic, Agent Doggett?"

"Well, I do believe in scientific fact for everything that occurs around us. Why?"

"Being in the X Files, you're going to need to be just as open minded." She handed him the half full mug and made way back to the office. Only to be stopped by Assistant Director Skinner.

"Agent Scully. Agent Doggett."

She stopped and look up at her slightly worried boss, who, at the moment looked like he had also just token a jog up quite a few flight of stairs. Doggett was making eye contact with him from across the hall at the sound of his greeting.

"Sir."

"Sir? What's happened?"

"I have a case for you two and Mulder."


	4. Office Chatter: part 1 of 2

Doggett and Scully, who were seated in front of Skinners desk, had been waiting to hear news about this so called new case for the specific techniques of the X Files. Skinner seemed to be looking around for something that wasn't there. And Scully knew probably just what that something was.

"How come Mulder hasn't decided to greet us with his presence today?" His voice seems agitated. Not the type Scully was used to either.

"He…he's a bit tied up right now. " She replied slowly. That probably wasn't the best way to retort back.

"Exactly what do you mean by 'tied up', Agent Scully?"

"He's busy, with another case?"

"Is that so? And what other case could be so important for him not to be with us for this meeting?"

"Its." She couldn't blow Mulders cover. Not so easily at least. Just thinking about how upset he would be at her. It was unbearable. Even if he was being more stubborn then a mule.

"Agent Scully? If there's something you're not telling me I need to know."

She thought hard for a minute. If she gave away the personal secret little project Mulder was working one she would never hear the last of it. Skinner was her boss and also a friend though. If she didn't tell him she knew he would find other was to resort to extract the information.

"He, recently got new dirt on his sisters were abouts."

Skinner replied with surprise in his tone. "Samantha? But I thought that he had closed that case a while ago."

Scully took in a deep breath, readying herself for the long explaining. "Yes, I thought that as well. Yet Mulder being Mulder he had to look deeper. Which, is causing him to act distant. Trust me." She glanced over to Doggett and gave him a sophic look. "I know. He hasn't spoken a word of sense to me since Monday."

Skinner rubbed his face and peered down at the papers placed beforehand. "I need Mulder's contribution on this case just as much as you."

"Sir, I can get Agent Doggett on this case with me if that makes it any easier."

"He's new to the X Files. I'm not sure he would be…right for this one."

"Sir, I assure you I can take whatever you put on my plate. Just explain to me exactly what the assignment is."

"I'm sure Agent Scully has explained to you a few things about how the X Files work."

John glimpsed over to Scully who had her ready gaze set on him as well. "Yes, sir. She has. I think I can handle a few UFO surmises."

"I can tell you right now Agent Doggett that this has nothing to do with UFO's or little gray men."

"Sir?"

He proceeded to hand Agent Scully a folder, containing crime scene photos. A man had a long knife protruding from his back, from what looks like he fell onto it execution style.

"Director Sir, there's no way.." She flipped through the pages very carefully, scan over the autopsy report. "There's no way this can be an X File. By the look of it I say this man committed suicide. There's nothing unexplainable about that."

"That's what I thought. Until we, got word his wife has been placed in a special cares facility. We had someone sent down there after the police arrived at the house and found the body."

"So?" Doggett was getting intrigued now. "How come she was placed in the nut house?"

"When we were trying to get her into the interrogation room, she was thrashing around like some kind of maniac wild animal. Then, when we finally got her calm and seated down at one of the desks she tried to grab a letter opener."

"This just seems like a woman who is in post mourned stress. She was probably just freaked."

"Grabbing a letter opener and trying to killer yourself with it doesn't seem like post mourned stress to me."

"Wait. She. Tried to killer herself with it?" Scully raised a brow.

"Sounds like a case of mass depression disorder." Doggett cut it, throwing off Scully's thought processing.

"No.." She trailed off, thinking back to the X Files cabinet. "Skinner. May I go back to my office to look over a few things?"

Skinner sighed and waved her away. Leaving Doggett to oversee the rest of the meeting.


End file.
